Sake 101: Understanding Sake Grades
The world of sake classifications can be confusing.
Looking at a sake menu in a restaurant, you may be faced with the words ‘junmai’ or ‘honjozo’ and think to yourself “who? What??”
These are actually classifications for premium sakes, known as tokuteimeishoshu - what we exclusively offer in our sake portfolio! Think of these as the cool kids of the sake world – they've got to meet some pretty strict brewing requirements to join the club.
The Special Designation Sake Club Rules:
· Only 5 ingredients allowed: rice, water, yeast, koji, and (optionally) distilled alcohol
· If they're adding distilled alcohol, it can't be more than 10% of the rice weight (no cheating!)
· There's a specific koji-to-rice ratio they need to nail
Once a sake passes these tests, it gets to play in the big league and receives its grade. These grades are determined by two characteristics: how much the rice has been polished and whether they've added that cheeky bit of distilled alcohol.
Junmai vs Non-Junmai:
This one's simple: if there's no distilled alcohol, it's junmai (meaning pure rice). If it's not labelled junmai, they've added a smidge of distilled alcohol. But don't panic, junmai or non-junmai, sake is still a fermented beverage. The added alcohol isn't turning your sake into vodka – it's just there to jazz up the aroma and body a bit.
Rice Polishing Ratios:
Imagine taking a grain of rice and scrubbing it with sandpaper. That's essentially what happens on an industrial scale to remove the outer layers of the rice grain. The percentage on the label refers to how much rice is remaining after polishing. So, 60% means 60% of the rice is still there, while 40% has been scrubbed away.
Most polishing grades hang out in the 40-60% range, but some sakes go as far as 1%. That's right, only 1% of the original rice grain remains – basically brewing with rice powder at that point!
The Sake Hierarchy:
Junmai Daiginjo & Daiginjo: 50% or less of the rice grains remaining. The difference? Junmai doesn't have added distilled alcohol. Generally light-bodied with floral aromas and delicate flavours. These sakes tend to fall into the ‘Fruity & Floral’ category.
Junmai Ginjo & Ginjo: 60% or less of the rice grains remaining. Again, junmai is the purist with no added distilled alcohol. Often shows a good balance between fruity aromas and umami. These sakes can range between ‘Fruity & Floral’ and ‘Crisp & Dry.’
Honjozo: 70% or less of the rice grains remaining, with a dash of distilled alcohol added. Typically smooth and light, with a subtle aroma and a dry, crisp finish. The added alcohol can enhance fragrance and flavour. These sakes commonly have a ‘Crisp & Dry’ flavour profile.
Junmai: 70% or less of the rice grains remaining, with no distilled alcohol added. Usually full-bodied with a noticeable umami and good acidity. These styles can often be described as ‘Full & Rich.’
It is worth giving a mention to the tokubetsu grade - there’s got to be something special about the sake in this grade. This can be applied to both junmai and non-junmai categories, and needs to satisfy one of these three conditions:
The rice must be polished down to at least 60%
The sake must be made with a type of rice specifically cultivated for sake brewing
The brewer must use a ‘special’ undisclosed technique when producing the sake. Mysterious…
Despite having all of these grades, they are not the most reliable way to determine what flavour profile a sake may have. For example, one honjozo can taste completely different to another. Every small decision that the brewer makes can drastically shape the end result, which is one of the many charms of sake. While these grades are a good start, chatting with the sommelier, reading the flavour profiles online, or checking our back labels for trusty descriptions is a far more reliable way.
Alternatively, you can always go in blind - be adventurous!
So there you have it – a whistle-stop tour of sake grades. Though this may be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sake vocabulary, we hope that next time you're faced with a sake menu, you can confidently nod and say, ‘Ah yes, I'll have the junmai ginjo please’ whilst your friends look at you in awe.
If you’d like to practice your newfound skills, head over to the ‘geeky details’ section on any of our products, and check out the grades!
